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Optimizing Mining Travel Management: Smarter Crew Accommodation for Remote Projects

Jun 24, 2025

Work smarter with travel management software that supports remote crew lodging and streamlined reporting

Canada’s mining sector continues to play a vital role in the national economy, contributing nearly $117 billion to Canada's GDP in 2023. The sector employs over 430,000 people in high-quality jobs, with an additional 281,000 supported through indirect employment, representing roughly one in every 28 Canadian workers.

As workforce travel grows more complex, traditional travel management methods are falling behind. Spreadsheets, manual bookings, and thousands of invoices create unnecessary friction for companies already working in demanding conditions. That’s where smarter platforms like LodgeLink come in, offering a centralized way to simplify, track, and optimize mining travel management.

Common challenges include:

Remote accommodations are difficult to source and manage. Crews often require access to extended stay motels, budget inn motels, or workforce lodges near isolated sites.
Manual booking processes take up valuable time. Relying on emails, phone calls, and spreadsheets leads to miscommunication and inefficiencies.
Rising administrative burden. Some mining companies manage thousands of folios annually, taking hundreds of hours to reconcile and costing thousands in finance team hours.
Limited visibility into crew movements, spend, and bookings across multiple job sites.
Increasing expectations around workforce travel safety features, environmental impact, and crew support responsibilities.

an aerial view of an open pit mine showing sustainable mining.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

Find and book accommodations faster: Whether you need hotel booking for contractors, long-term crew lodging, or hotel rooms for long-haul drivers, LodgeLink gives you access to thousands of vetted properties, including hotels with truck parking, extended stay options, and business lodging for field crews.
Coordinate shifting schedules with ease: With tools for crew travel scheduling, job site assignments, and template-based bookings, you can support rotating shifts without starting from scratch each time. Assign project codes, adjust travel dates, and make changes on the fly using intuitive travel booking software.
Streamline cost tracking and reporting: Say goodbye to paper trails. LodgeLink lets you consolidate folios into fewer invoices, automatically assign incidentals, and track spending through built-in tools like a hotel cost calculator, per diem lodging calculator, and workforce travel cost calculator.
Boost visibility and crew safety: Real-time dashboards, booking history, and location tracking make it easier to meet corporate travel management standards. With 24/7 travel booking support and Duty of Care crew travel tools, you’ll be ready to act quickly when plans change or emergencies arise.

Why This Matters for the Future of Mining

The mining sector is on the cusp of transformation. As the demand for clean energy rises, so does the demand for Canada’s lithium, copper, and rare earth metals. These critical materials are increasingly sourced from remote and undeveloped areas, meaning the need for scalable, flexible remote crew accommodation will only grow.

At the same time, global sustainability standards are shifting. Initiatives like Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) are pushing companies to lead on environmental and community practices. To stay competitive and compliant, travel systems must evolve alongside operations.

Investments in innovation, from Canada’s $40 million contribution to the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), to the adoption of utility field lodging solutions and construction travel management software, are all signs the industry is ready to modernize.

The LodgeLink Advantage

LodgeLink gives mining operations a better way to manage travel, saving time, reducing errors, and providing the visibility companies need to make smart, data-driven decisions. With access to extended stay hotels, centralized billing, and integrated business travel software, our platform has helped customers:

Reduce invoices by up to 95%
Save hundreds of admin hours annually
Improve coordination across teams and regions
Enhance compliance and cost control for finance teams

With access to Duty of Care safety features, crew managers can quickly track and initiate emergency communications with crew members when plans change or disaster strikes.

After the assignment is complete, LodgeLink’s technology offers transparent and simplified payment methods, powerful reporting, visibility and cost control to make the reconciliation process smooth.

As one of the nation’s most influential economic powerhouses, the Canadian mining industry must continue to evolve to keep mining at the forefront of the economy.

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